Letters to the Editor: Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Levine uncooperative with police

As we watch the Florida gubernatorial debates unfold, members of the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police are dismayed at the claims former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine has made in regards to his prior work with law enforcement.

During his tenure in Miami Beach, Levine was void of any engagement with his police force. He even refused to meet with the leadership or representatives of rank-and-file officers who were interested in establishing an open line of communication with him to address concerns. Worse, he has opted to continue this same pattern today by declaring that he will not seek, nor is he interested in, the endorsement of the law enforcement community for his run as governor.

His actions then and now are a clear indicator of the type of leadership we will have when it comes to the safety and security of Florida residents.

At a time when law enforcement is looking to improve the morale of officers and mend fraught relationships with communities, it is imperative that we have a leader who understands the importance of working cooperatively and who is proactive about establishing dialogue between all concerned parties.

Turning your back on any member of the community, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or even profession, is unacceptable and only feeds into the terribly divisive and tense environment we are experiencing today nationwide.

Bobby Jenkins, Miami Beach

President, Florida State Fraternal Order of Police

The sad truth

In a recent letter, the writer claimed that it is not President Donald Trump who is separating the American voters, it was former President Barack Obama who separated the people.

However, the division was not the result of how Obama governed or his policies; it was simply the fact that there was a man of color occupying the White House and the people were divided almost solely along a racist divide.

Obama himself has said quite recently that he feels he was elected 10 or 20 years too soon: the country was not ready for him.

That, folks, is a shameful declaration of a very sad truth.

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District funding more than adequate

I wish to thank Janet Vasey for her informative guest commentary in the June 2 Naples Daily News. Often it is difficult for the average voter to be informed and understand the ramifications of issues.

It seems to me that the North Collier fire district receives more than adequate funding if it can afford to pay 211 people an average annual salary of $136,000 in salary and benefits. This appears to be another case where government employees are being paid far more than people performing similar activities in private industry.

The disparity between government employees and private industry was highlighted by the recent tragedy in Parkland, where a deputy sheriff will receive more than $100,000 per year as pension starting with his resignation at age 55 after only 33 years on the job. Is this a tip of the iceberg?

Eric Steiner, Naples

History repeats itself

Afghanistan is called “the graveyard of empires” for historical reasons that we have not learned. The British learned it in a hard way in the 1800s, and the Russians in the 1980s, but we haven’t.

History certainly repeats itself.

Richard Quist, Estero

Country on right track under Trump

Every century seems to produce a president who breaks all the rules and shakes things up. In the 19th century we had Andrew Jackson, in the 20th century Theodore Roosevelt, and now in the 21st century Donald Trump.

The so-called progressives hate everything about Trump, including especially that he is not progressive, either in its political sense or in the dictionary sense of “developing gradually.” Rather, Trump is radical and proactive, ignoring the status quo and seeking immediate change.

What have been the results?

• Large numbers of former President Barack Obama’s executive orders have been rescinded, freeing the economy to grow in gross domestic product and jobs.

• A bill was passed that reduced taxes for most Americans and further stimulated the economy.

• Unemployment is at a record low, including for blacks and Hispanics.

• Full repeal of the Affordable Care Act (that was not) failed by just one turncoat Republican vote, but at least the individual mandate was ended.

• Funding for the military has been greatly increased so that we may negotiate with other countries from strength.

• “Red lines” were made more believable when Syrian gas attacks were met with a missile strike.

• Our southern border has been reinforced, the promised wall is being built and a four-point holistic immigration policy articulated.

• The ineffective Iranian nuclear agreement (not a treaty) was rescinded, allowing us to assure Iran never develops nuclear weapons.

• Unfair trade agreements and tariffs are being challenged.

• And perhaps most significantly, we are engaging with North Korea in a real opportunity to eliminate their nuclear weapons.

The president continues to confound his critics and those who underestimate him. The country is finally back on the right path.

Ira Cotton, Naples

Audible ignorance

Profanity makes ignorance audible.

John Koepke, Naples

Living in bubble of hypocrisy

It is obvious that writer Jocelyn Noveck of The Associated Press, author of the article headlined “A theme of tolerance, inclusion at Tony Awards” (Neapolitan, Naples Daily News, June 12) missed the lack of tolerance and inclusion at the Tony awards.

Where were you, Ms. Noveck, when Robert De Niro dropped F-bombs about President Donald Trump while introducing a performance by Bruce Springsteen? Where were you, Ms. Noveck, when these comments earned De Niro a standing ovation from the crowd attending the Tony awards? It seems that both De Niro and the attending audience missed the tolerance and inclusion theme of the evening.

The American left, including both the mainstream media and the show business crowd, reveal a closed-circuited form of liberalism. They live in their own bubble of hypocrisy.

Emily Varga-Comella, Naples

Won’t be fooled again

There is no truth. There is no reality. There is no fact. There is no honesty. There is no science. There is no rule of law. There is no sanity.

Please thank whatever providential power you believe in that there is President Donald J. Trump. He takes the place of all these archaic and fake entities. We can all rejoice that our country and the world have Trump, our savior, protector, benign ruler, supreme leader and, need I write it, our gracious lover.

It has been a long, hard road for me, a progressive and a liberal, but I have finally come to see the light, to understand Trump as the answer to all our problems. I give him my worship, my reverence and my deepest respect.

Trump has shown me that most of the common understandings we Americans hold are wrongheaded. I now see the truth of America through his sharp eyes. He is a strong, good, unbiased, extremely insightful man who has never mistreated, and will never mistreat, anyone. Trump always tells the truth, sometimes with a depth we don’t realize.

My TV is now set permanently to Trump News (aka Fox News) so I won’t be fooled again.

Robbins Winslow, Naples

De Niro should exit stage left

Why do actors think they need to revive their past vulgar and offensive movie roles in front of a live audience of elites? And a national television audience? Remember the R-rated movies Robert De Niro appeared in utilizing his foul mouth and outlandish narratives?

Who said De Niro is the spokesman for all Americans? Not the Americans who voted for President Donald Trump. De Niro wasn’t even receiving an award at the Tonys.

It’s time for Robert De Niro to exit the national stage. I found out from my liberal friends that they don’t care what he thinks. They were totally appalled and sickened by De Niro’s comments.

Perhaps De Niro should read more and watch the truth tellers on Fox News to learn about his president.

Here is some help, Mr. De Niro. Your current president has achieved in a short period of time tax relief, a soaring stock market and the lowest unemployment rate across all nationalities, and domestic and international victories. The list goes on and on and De Niro’s president of the United States of America, where he lives, is just getting started.

De Niro’s tough guy and vulgar image should not be in America’s living rooms.

William Schoeler, Naples

Trump is psychotic

President Donald Trump on the prime minister of our close Canada, Justin Trudeau: “He’s dishonest and weak.” Trump on Putin: “Russia should be readmitted into the G-7 because Russia is an asset.” Trump on Kim Jong Un: “He loves his people, he loves his country" and (get ready for it) “he trusts me and I trust him. We have a special bond.”

Two narcissistic authoritarians with bad hair bonding. Isn’t that sweet?

So let me get this straight. Trump trusts Kim and praises and supports Russian President Vladimir Putin, but smears U.S. intelligence, the FBI, special counsel Robert Mueller and our allies on a regular basis. He violated the Iran agreement, which was a success and had historical inspections and verification but he trusts Kim.

The state-run television network, Fox News, is celebrating a meaningless verbal agreement as “historic.” The right-wing undermined and sabotaged the Iran deal which included 24/7 inspections of all nuclear facilities and included inspections of uranium mines and mills for 25 years.

Does any 7-year-old believe Trump will get a shadow of Iran inspections in North Korea?

Trump was scorned at the G-7 meeting for “fits of anger” and his bellicosity. But, remember, Kim “loves his country” and “I trust him.” There is a word for this: psychotic.

Sen. John McCain's former campaign manager Steve Schmidt called out this photo op for the midterms, pummeling the “delusional Trump media” for “sycophantic panting” over a “Kim Jong Un love fest.”